Increasing pay for all district employees was the subject of a lengthy discussion among the Garland ISD Board of Trustees.

The board considered several proposals during a special workshop session and during its regular meeting Tuesday, April 25. With numerous vacancies within the district, trustees considered action that would raise the salary and pay grades for employees across the board.

In addition to staffing considerations, Executive Director of Budget Brandy Mayo said there are $14.7 million in ongoing and one-time budget addition requests in Garland ISD. Of the $14.7 million, about $10.5 million is technology related, said Mayo, adding that an approved Proposition C in the upcoming bond would help alleviate the cost.

Without a major shift, the proposed additions will be factored into the budget, she said.

“We bring these items to the board once administration has reviewed and approved them for recommendation,” Mayo said. “Unless there is a decision to review an item specifically, these items will become part of the budget.”

Additionally, Mayo presented several options for increasing compensation for district employees that had varying costs from $10.3 million to around $17.5 million. Several options included a starting teacher salary of $61,000 and equity adjustments, $15 hourly pay rate for all administrative support, instructional support and auxiliary positions along with an equity adjustment and an additional pay increase beyond the new salary and wage structures.

An initial proposal touted a 1.25% pay increase for all teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians, a 3% raise for those between eight and 14 years’ experience and a 4.5% raise for those with more than 15 years’ experience albeit with equity adjustments made through year eight for decompression reasons. 

Trustees said they wanted more aggressive raises for teachers to demonstrate their value to the district, notably the most experienced teachers that can be difficult to replace.

“We need to keep our senior teachers and show them that we appreciate how hard their job is,” said Trustee Larry Glick. “We also have to consider how hard it is to replace senior teachers with new teachers. When we lose those teachers, there’s a gap that’s almost impossible to fill.”

During the workshop, the board asked Mayo to calculate the cost of a plan that would increase pay for teachers, counselors, librarians and nurses by 2% for years one through seven, 3% for eight through 14 years’ experience and 4.5% for more than 15 years’ experience. There would also be a $15 hourly pay rate for all administrative support, instructional support and auxiliary positions along with an equity adjustment and an additional 1% pay increase beyond the new salary and wage structures.

Trustees approved the new compensation plan during its regular meeting. Mayo calculated the cost for the upcoming budget to be around $17.5 million beyond the current allocation.

For the full story, see the May 4 issue of The Sachse News.